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Before 1994, apartheid, colonialism, cultural and religious practices in South Africa promoted the oppression of women.

From a virtually bankrupt state to a thriving trillion rand budget, South Africa’s economy is undoubtedly a world away from what it was 20 years ago.

A declining employment rate, low investment levels, a poorly educated workforce and large monopolies - these were the features that characterised the South African economy in the period leading to 1994.

Gone are the days when Tisetso Masilela, of Soweto, would have to put up with traffic on her way to work. Like many commuters f rom townships neighbouring big cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, Masilela would arrive at work late as a result of the traffic congestion leading into the city centre.

The Medupi power station will be world’s fourth largest coal power station and will be the largest dry-cooled power station in the world.

Government is spending big on infrastructure with the aim of improving the lives of South Africans and boosting the economy.

The National Infrastructure Plan, rolled out in 2012, is geared at changing the economic landscape of the country and creating jobs. The plan is an effort by government to build new infrastructure and upgrade existing infrastructure across the country.

In 2013, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced government would invest R827 billion over three years in building new and upgrading existing infrastructure.

Significant advances have been made over the last 20 years to establish a single local government system from the fragmented, undemocratic, unaccountable and racially divided apartheid system.

“It is impressive that a number of municipalities which had little or no preexisting institutional foundations, have been able to deliver basic services to thousands of people who did not have them before in the past two decades,” President Jacob Zuma said during the release of the Twenty Year Review recently.

South Africans, young and old, are reaping the benefits of living under a democratic government, with their lives improving for the better over the past 20 years.

Since the end of apartheid, the democratic government has drawn up policies, introduced programmes and set aside resources to provide South Africans with services and opportunities they did not previously enjoy.

As the country celebrates 20 Years of Freedom there is no denying that citizens now have access to better health care, homes, education and services than they did pre-democracy.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is one of the areas that government has prioritised since 1994.

Government is helping millions of South Africans escape the burden of poverty every month by providing social grants.

Government has made great strides in creating jobs, uplifting communities and reducing poverty over the past 20 years.